One of the four hans originally built on the Konya-Beysehir
road, the Kizilören Han is impressive due to its pastoral setting, the numerous Byzantine reuse (spolia)
stones used in its construction and its large size.

Eravşar, 2017. p.
154; photo I. Dıvarcı

photo Ahmet Kuş, January 2012

photo Ahmet Kuş, January 2012

plan
drawn by Erdmann

plan drawn during renovation

courtyard before restoration

DISTRICT (IL)42 KONYA

LOCATION

The han is situated 44 km (30 miles) from Konya along the Konya-Beyşehir
Road. It is one of the series of 4 hans originally along this stretch of road:
starting from the Konya direction, the Altinapa (now submerged by the waters
behind the Altinapa Dam), the Kuruçeşme Han, the Kizilören Han, and the Yunuslar
Han (mentioned in sources but whose traces have not been identified). This is
the third han west of Konya. It is 10 miles west of the Kuruçeşme Han, and lies
parallel to the modern road, with the door facing Konya.
There is a Seljuk
Bridge over the Sari Su about 6 km further west.

The modern highway was laid parallel to the historic caravan route and has
covered over most of its original traces.
The road that the
han was built upon followed the path of the 1,000 year older Via Sebastia
that the apostle Paul traveled on four times (twice on his First Journey
(heading east and then returning west), and on his Second and Third Journeys
(both times heading west).

The existence of four hans in such a short proximity shows the vitality of
the trade along this route leading to the capital city of Konya in the Seljuk
period. The density of hans along this relatively short stretch of road bears
witness to the heavy commercial use of this road, leading to the capital city of
Konya.

OTHER NAMESKizilviran

Yazı Han

The name means the han of the "Red Ruins", probably due to the fact that the
stone has a distinctive reddish cast.

The Russian naturalist and geologist
Tschihatscheff, who visited the Konya region on June, 1, 1848, mentioned the ruined
Seljuk village of Kizilören and said there were two hans in use here, obviously referring
to this one and the nearby Kuruçeşme Han. He also noted that the noonday temperature was
49.8 degrees Celsius  in the shade. The traveler Pace in 1926 that he believed
the Kuruçeşme was more solidly built than this one. He drew its plan and
described its architectural features.

The han is referred to as the Yazi Han in Ottoman sources.

There is much
confusion about the names of this han and its neighboring han, the Kuruceşme
Han, over the years until the present, both in academic literature and by the
locals. They are invariably called the Kuruçeşme, Kandemir, or Kizilören Han. Be
that what it is, on this site this han will be referred to as the Kizilören Han,
distinct from the Kuruceşme
Han.

INSCRIPTION

Once upon a time there was an inscription of
four lines above the entrance door of the han. The inscription has, alas, gone
missing today. Pace saw the inscription, but declared it illegible. However,
Riefstahl took a photograph of the inscription plaque before it was lost, and
the Austrian Orientalist Paul Wittek read the inscription for him. It has also
been published by R. Oğuz Arık.

The four-lined inscription reads as follows:

"Built during the reign of the Great Sultan, the Sultan of the Arabs and
Persians, the hero and the deputy of the Commander of the Believers, Keyhüsrev
bin Kılıç Arslan. Emir Kandemir has ordered this han to be built in
the month of Muharram, 603

DATE1205-6
(dated by inscription)

This makes this han one of the earliest dated Seljuk hans. This date corresponds
with the construction in the same period as the other hans along this route,
between 1207 and 1210. It is remarkable to see two hans (Kuruçeşme and Kızılören)
built so close to each other (10 km apart), on the same route and at the same
approximate time.

REIGN OF

Giyaseddin Keyhüsrev I

PATRON

Emir Kutluğ bin Muhammed (Emir Kandemir)

According to the inscription, the Kızılören Han was
built during the reign of Sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev I and was commissioned by
Emir Kutluğ bin Muhammed (Emir Kandemir), an emir serving the sultan, in
603/1207.

It remains a mystery why the Kuruçeşme Han, whose inscription makes no
reference to Emir Kandemir, bears his name, and this one, attested in the
inscription as built by Emir Kandemir, does not bear his name.

BUILDING TYPE

Covered with open courtyard (COC)

Covered section same width as the courtyard

Covered section with 1 central aisle and 1 aisle on
each side running perpendicular to the back wall
6 bays of vaults in the aisles

DESCRIPTION

The Kizilören Han consists of a covered section and an open courtyard with
service areas in front of it. The covered section is the same width as the
courtyard area and is oriented east-west. This han was in a complete ruins until
recently, resembling a jumble of rocks after an earthquake, but it was possible
to reconstruct the plan from the remaining traces

Throughout this han there are many Byzantine reuse stones (spolia),
mostly used as column capitals and lintel stones. Byzantine reuse material is
evident in every section of this han. Column capitals have been laid
horizontally into the wall and have been used as imposts between columns and
voussoirs (the wedge-shaped stones forming the curved part of the arch or
ceiling). The triangular voussoirs and rosette decoration appear to be a
degenerate Byzantine interpretation of the antique Corinthian capital. In the
western rear wall of the covered section, there is a large stone piece decorated
with a cross set in a circle, and which must have been a lintel in a church.
Reuse spolia stones are generally used as wall decoration in most hans, but in
this han they serve as supporting architectural elements. In view of the large
amount of spolia used here, it is believed that parts of an earlier
Byzantine church were used in the construction of the han.

Courtyard:

The original form of the crown door of the entrance is unclear since it was
in such a ruined state. However, the basic structure of the crown door was
uncovered during the restoration and was rebuilt using the crown door of the
covered section as a model.

The southern (left) side of the courtyard comprises an open arcade of five
sections, supported by five piers. The right side is comprised of a series of
five spaces covered by pointed barrel vaults in the north-south direction.

Covered section:

The main door to the covered section is
2.4 m wide has a deep niche of 1.4m with a pointed arch springing from reuse
stone column capitals with ribbed carving. The interior niche arches
are set on the sides with Byzantine reuse columns with column capitals. A marble
inscription panel in the form of an arch is placed above the entry. The outer
surrounding inscription panel has a rectangular frame. Some reuse spolia
materials, thought to be parts of an altar, were placed at the same height on
both sides of the walls of the crown door.The tympanum of the door opening
is empty, and no inscription board or any other elements can be seen here.
The form
of arches and the doorways is similar to the crown door of the Altınapa Han
along the same road.

The covered section has three naves.
The middle nave is higher and wider than the side naves. The naves are composed
of two support lines connected with six pointed arches carried on five piers in
each line. The naves are covered with pointed vaults.

The arcades of the
covered section spring from substantial square stone pillars or from columns
composed of Byzantine capitals. On the raised loading dock platform of the
covered section, there are remnants of a tandir clay oven, used for heating,
cooking and baking. It consists of a pit sunk into the platform, about 15 in
deep, and connected to a horizontal shaft to provide air.

DECORATION

There is no decoration in this han other than the elements displayed on the
spolia stones.

DIMENSIONSTotal area: 1,200m2
Area of hall: 430 m2
Area of courtyard: 655 m2

STATE OF CONSERVATION, CURRENT USAGEFor many years this han stood abandoned and in ruins. The foundation
walls were standing, but the roof of the covered section had collapsed, as had
most of the arcades in the courtyard. In 2011 the han was completely restored
and is now open for visits.